Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Temple >

Crowley and The Equinox

02:30 / 03.02.05

So, yeah. The Equinox. LVX23 posted a link to the 10 volumes of the Equinox in PDF in his blog not too long ago (many thanks, btw). I downloaded the whole shebang and burned it to a CD so's I can take it to work and read it on lunch breaks. I plan to read pretty much the whole thing, but I was wondering what the 'Lith might especially recommend/shun completely.

And before anyone sez it: Sorry, I am unable/unwilling to buy 'Gems of the Equinox' at this point in time.

03:17 / 03.02.05

Amazon.com shows a Look Inside This Book option for "Gems of the Equinox," which means you can sneak a look at the Table of Contents.

~L

20:27 / 03.02.05

If you have Liber ABA (Magick) and Liber 418 (The Vision & the Voice) you don't really need Gems. And, of course, you can find a lot at The Hermetic Library.

23:17 / 03.02.05

I particularly enjoyed John St John and The Temple of Solomon the King. Lots of detail of magical practice and some nuggets of kabbalistic wisdom.

10:07 / 04.02.05

Here's a question: Which books from Crowley's entire output would you consider essential reading for the advanced non-ceremonial magician, who knows all the basics of ceremonial magic/k/Quabbala/Thelema/etc..., doesnt really intend to take it up again as core practice any time soon, isn't about to join the A.'.A.'. or the OTO, but is just interested in gaining enlightened insights into the nature of magic in general by studying the work of an advanced magician from another field?

This can be broadened out from Crowley, if you like, to take in other authors. Which books about magic would you consider required reading for advanced practitioners regardless of the system or tradition they work with or the culture they belong to?

10:50 / 04.02.05

Oh, snap! Thanks Lepidopteran!

I woulda thoughta that if I'da thought about it. ;-)

LVX23: If you have Liber ABA (Magick) and Liber 418 (The Vision & the Voice) you don't really need Gems.

Don't have either of those (ABA = Book Four, yes?), but I do plan to buy them at some point down the road. PDFs sustain my reading jones until that day.

O.V. Eros, I do have my eye on the Temple of Solomon the King and I'll definitely check out John St. John when I get there. Thanks!

Good question, Gypsy L. I'd also ask that someone throw in a 'Basics of Crowley' list, if there is such a thing. Perhaps links to old threads dealing with that matter?

BTW, really enjoyed The Soldier and the Hunchback in Equinox 1.

trouser the trouserian

11:27 / 04.02.05

Which books from Crowley's entire output would you consider essential reading for the advanced non-ceremonial magician, who knows all the basics of ceremonial magic/k/Quabbala/Thelema/etc...

Keeping it short...

The Book of Lies
Moonchild
Liber TzBA
The Soldier and the Hunchback

11:47 / 04.02.05

Cool, I've read Moonchild. Thought it was great. Particularly the bits where he openly takes the piss out of virtually every other occultist of that period with thinly veiled supporting characters.

I've always been intrigued by the Book of Lies, and dipped into it before, but I've never got round to picking it up. Havent read the other two at all, are they collected in a book someplace or is it best to just get them online? What are they about? Any more?

trouser the trouserian

12:45 / 04.02.05

Liber TzBA is Crowley's record of trying to kick his smack habit. IMO its one of the most moving sections of his magical diaries. Steve W. brought out an edited & annotated edn a few years back - might be a few copies floating around either Treadwells or Atlantis.

Soldier & hunchback as a pdf. Nice little essay on Scepticism.

First read "The Book of Lies" in 1980 and its one of the few Crowley texts I read on a yearly basis.

13:06 / 04.02.05

GL - I'd say The Book of the Law, I never fail to find it inspiring, particular the first two chapters. The edition with Marcello Motta's comentaries (online somewhere) is really forceful. As for the rest of it, I think it depends on how much you want to internalise the qabalah. For instance, I'm sure the Book of Thoth is incredible, but I just sold my copy as I almost never work with tarot. If I become interested I can always get it again.

I'd also add Spare's The Book of Pleasure, just for the realisation that you can burn or disregard any system and make up your own - with the caveat that this takes a lot of effort, originality and commitment to your art.

I'd add Choygam Trungpa's Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism as it contains a lot of challenges, and invitations to deep thought, for magicians of any persuasion.

rising and revolving

14:10 / 04.02.05

I'm a big fan of Magic In Theory and Practice, as it's basically full of plain speaking rather than the usual Crowley clever-clever obfuscation. A lot of it could be considered "the basics" but it's all useful, and worth regular reads. Given that it was basically written at the end of his career, it's also a nice look back.

16:56 / 04.02.05

I see three problems with much of Crowley's work:

* He tends to write in code.

* He tends to assume readers have a thorough Oxbridge education and already know the basics of Western magic.

* He tends to offer instructions as precepts to be obeyed rather than guidelines to be experimented with.

With that noted, I'd say the Crowley basics (theory and practice) are

Liber Jugorum
Liber E
Liber O
Book 4 (the first two parts)
Magick in Theory in Practice (which in its most comprehensive version collects all of the above)
Book of the Law
777
Book of Thoth

If I were approaching Crowley for the first time I'd probably read them in that order.

As for essential reading for the advanced non-ceremonial magician who wants to gain insights into Crowley's work, I probably wouldn't start with Crowley at all, but with Israel Regardie's biography The Eye in the Triangle.

Then:

* The yoga section of Book 4 (very clear and lucid)

* Magick in Theory and Practice (especially the Definitions and Theorems)

* Magick Without Tears (instructions to a neophyte)

Also, The Book of Thoth synthesizes Crowley's thoughts on every area of magic and mysticism. Unfortunately it's so dense and convoluted it's almost unreadable.

rising and revolving

18:07 / 04.02.05

Shit. I meant Magick without Tears, not in Theory and Practice. He's not nearly as lucid in MiTP.

22:41 / 04.02.05

GL:

Liber Aleph and The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent (Liber LXV, I believe). Liber 333 (Book of Lies) and Liber 418. Pretty much any of the Class A pubs are worth reading just for inspiration/insight. (Class A are the ones that were not written by Crowley, but channeled by him - i.e. recieved in a highly ritualized, magickal state. they are regarded as transmissions.)

Evsig:

That's kinda the point. It's not supposed to be easy. I first read Book of Lies, then picked up a Thoth deck and Book of Thoth. Some of it I was able to grok right off, but most of it was like "What the hell is he talking about?"

Well, he's talking about the Mysteries. A large part of the path is following the leads, reading the texts, working the rituals, and piecing it together for your self. It takes a long time and a lot of work. But that's the point. It's not supposed to be easy. The journey is more important than the destination, etc etc...

Boy in a Suitcase

01:58 / 05.02.05

Little Essays Towards Truth.

That's a great one.

02:00 / 05.02.05

He tends to offer instructions as precepts to be obeyed rather than guidelines to be experimented with.

One of the aspects of Crowley I've found troublesome as well. Given his background, tho, not too surprising. As great as he was, I tend to think he got caught up in a self-created fundamentalism. Perhaps I'm wrong and, given that I'm obviously the one here who's not done a lot of research on the man, that's a big 'perhaps'.

That said, I do think of him as vastly underrated as a writer. I'm not surprised he doesn't get recognition, but it's a damn shame.

Thanks for the recommendations.

"What the hell is he talking about?" That's the fun bit, isn't it?

Boy in a Suitcase

02:04 / 05.02.05

I also second LVX on the Class A docs. That's the stuff alright. They're all published in "Holy Books of Thelema." Liber LXV may likely be his primary legacy to the world outside of the Book of the Law.

Liber Aleph, on the other hand, I heard was written to fuck with Frater Achad by flattering his skillz, but this could just be hearsay.

03:40 / 05.02.05

Just to clarify, Crowley divided his writings into a variety of classes.

As LUX23 pointed out, Class A documents are those that were considered divinely inspired. The Book of the Law, The Book of the Heart Girt With a Serpent, and the other Holy Books of Thelema.

Class B documents are works of scholarship. The Book of Thoth, Liber O, Liber E, 777, etc.

(There also are a few Class A-B documents, like The Vision and the Voice.)

Class C documents are considered "suggestive." Poetry, allegories, and The Book of Lies.

Class D documents are "Official Rituals and Instructions." Liber Jugorum, The Star Ruby, The Star Sapphire, Liber Resh, Liber HHH, and many more.

Class E documents deal with the propagation of the law of Thelema. The Message of the Master Therion, etc.

Other writings were unclassified.

Some of the classification seems inconsistent and arbitrary.

Personally, I prefer Class B and D documents and find much of the Class A stuff -- including almost anything that uses pseudo-Biblical language -- a bit overblown and dull.

13:40 / 10.02.05

Isn't there a list of basic student and probationer readings in Liber ABA? It includes the Equinox, and Libri O, A, and E, but I can't remember what else...

13:58 / 10.02.05

The A.'.A.'. readings for each grade can be found here.

14:20 / 10.02.05

Oh -- it really should be pretty damned obvious, but you never know:

For anyone practicing Liber Jugorum, DON'T slash your arm with a razor when you fuck up. Two alternatives: wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you make a slip, or bite the base of your thumb, hard.

rising and revolving

16:52 / 10.02.05

I don't know that it ought to be obvious. It's obvious that the other methods work, but it's also obvious that Crowley fully intended for people to use a razor blade.

Are you utterly convinced there was no reason for that?

16:58 / 10.02.05

So the "obvious" bit should maybe be, "be judicious in where and how hard you slash your arm with the razor. Study basic First Aid first."

~L

17:03 / 10.02.05

I think the reason for it was that Crowley was a complete bloody asshole a lot of the time. There's some horriblepics of a neophyteof his with an armful of scars in Gems from the Equinox.

17:03 / 10.02.05

I can vouch for the rubber band method, at any rate.

You'd be amazed how much damage you can do to your wrist with a rubber band in a week, too...

17:17 / 10.02.05

Perhaps I should rephrase:

"There may be some purpose in using a razor blade, since it undoubtedly will make a profound impression that you won't want to repeat. However, if you use a razor, I think you're a total fucking idiot, since you could do serious, permanent damage to yourself. I strongly recommend that you use one of the alternate methods instead."

rising and revolving

18:47 / 10.02.05

Fairy nuff. Sorry if I was being anal-confrontational. One of those morning, I suspect.

Not to mention, all these razor cuts sting like the billy-o.